Thunderbird Tutorial
This short tutorial will show you how to configure Thunderbird for use with Lavabit. If you continue having difficulty after following this tutorial, please check our troubleshooting page for solutions to the most common problems. And if all else fails, please use our contact page to get in touch with the Lavabit Support Team.
Please note that the following screenshots were taken with version 1.5.0.4; however the process should be similar for all versions of Thunderbird.
Step One
To add a new account to an existing Thunderbird installation, select the ‘Tools’ menu and then the ‘Account Settings’ option.
If you’re starting Thunderbird for the first time, it will prompt you to import your settings from another e-mail client. Assuming you don’t already have your Lavabit account configured in another client, select ‘Don’t import anything’ and press the ‘Next’ button. You’ll then skip to Step Three in this tutorial.
Step Two
Press the ‘Add Account’ button to start the ‘New Account Setup Wizard’.
Step Three
To add your Lavabit account, please select the first option ‘E-mail account’ and press the ‘Next’ button.
Step Four
Where it says ‘Your Name’, enter your full name, such as ‘John Doe’, or the name of the business the account is used for, such as ‘ACME Widgets’. For this tutorial, we’ve chosen to use ‘Example User’.
In the ‘E-mail Address’ field, enter your new Lavabit e-mail address. This will be your account_name@lavabit.com. In this example, we’ve used the account name ‘example’. If the e-mail address you provide here doesn’t match the account name entered during Step Six, you won’t be able to send e-mail. When you’re done, click the ‘Next’ button.
Step Five
Select the POP option and then enter ‘lavabit.com’ in the fields for ‘Incoming Server’ and ‘Outgoing Server’. The ‘Use Global Inbox’ option is selected by default and is appropriate for most users. When you’re done, press the ‘Next’ button to continue.
Step Six
Enter your new Lavabit account name here. When you’re done, click the ‘Next’ button.
Step Seven
The ‘Account Name’ field allows you to give this account a nickname. You’re welcome to use any value here that has meaning to you. For this example, we’ve used the e-mail address as the account name. When you’re done, press the ‘Next’ button to continue.
Step Eight
A summary of your configuration options is presented. To save the e-mail account, press ‘Finish’.
Step Nine
If you’re adding an account to Thunderbird, you’ll be returned to the ‘Account Settings’ dialog. Press the ‘OK’ button, and we can move on to testing your new account.
Step Ten
To prompt Thunderbird to download your e-mail immediately, press the ‘Get Mail’ button.
Step Eleven
You should be greeted by a dialog asking for your password. Enter your account password. If you’d like Thunderbird to store your password, check the ‘Use Password Manager to remember this password’ option. If you don’t check this option, Thunderbird will prompt you for the account password every time you send or receive e-mail. When you’re done, click the ‘OK’ button.
If you do choose to have Thunderbird remember your password, please write it down and store it in a safe place. Because of the encryption methods we use at Lavabit, our administrators can’t change your account password without knowing the existing password.
Step Twelve
If everything worked correctly, the progress dialog box should disappear and a welcome message from the Lavabit Support Team should be in your Inbox. You can also try sending an e-mail to make sure you outgoing mail works as well.
For most users, this is the happy ending to the story. If you hit a snag, please check our troubleshooting page for solutions to the most common problems. We also recommend you that you follow the optional Step Thirteen. Changing your port numbers and enabling SSL will fix the most common problem people encounter. Enabling SSL has the added benefit improving the security of your account. Of course, if you’re still stuck, please use our contact page to get help from the Lavabit Support Team.
Step Thirteen
For most users, this step is optional but recommended. For added security we highly recommend enabling SSL. To enable SSL, select the ‘Tools’ menu and then the ‘Account Settings’ option. Select the ‘Server Settings’ text underneath your Lavabit account. Where it says ‘Use secure connection’, select SSL. The screen should then look like the first screenshot above. To enable SSL for your outgoing e-mail, select ‘Outgoing Server (SMTP)’. Once there, select the lavabit.com entry and press the ‘Edit’ button. Where is says ‘Use secure connection’, select SSL and then manually change the ‘Port’ field to 465. The screen should then look like the second screenshot above. Press the ‘OK’ button on the SMTP Server dialog box and then again on the Account Settings dialog box to save your changes. Test your changes by pressing the ‘Get Mail’ button again.
